


Stronger Than Oceans

by AlyVera



Category: Larry Stylinson - Fandom, One Direction (Band)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-20
Updated: 2014-10-20
Packaged: 2018-02-21 23:36:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,368
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2486438
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlyVera/pseuds/AlyVera
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A story in which Louis is a poet with a dying dream and Harry is a failed med-student looking for some semblance of meaning in his life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Stronger Than Oceans

Chapter 1:

Harry would never let Louis know that he remembered every single Tuesday at 4:37p.m before they met, when Louis would come in for his iced chai tea latte with skim milk and no foam. 

Louis would never let Harry know that he referred to him as ‘Curly the Barista’ to his mum.

 

-

 

I’ve been a thousand people and i’ve lived a thousand lives. I’ve lived every tragedy and loved through every tale of romance. I’m not sure books are cutting it anymore. I am alone. I cannot write. LT ‘14

Louis unintentionally groaned aloud, his voice echoing off of the walls of the near empty coffee shop, as he slammed his laptop shut, and focused on what remained of his drink. 

The sun was shining through the windows, casting a shadow over the far-too-stressed-for-22 year old boy, who couldn’t fathom his purpose for existing. 

To the curly-haired barista, that shadow was the most god-damn beautiful thing he had ever seen in his 20 years of life.

“Want another chai tea? On me.” Harry offered delicately to the emotionally fragile boy.

“Hmm?” Louis hummed as he looked up, his entire demeanor softening as his eyes met Harry’s.

“Yeah, thanks mate.” He replied gruffly, shoving his fringe out of his eyes and reopening his laptop.

Harry frowned slightly, but made him the drink anyway, bringing it to him as soon as he finished. 

“I’m Harry” he spoke gently, but deeply. “Harry.” Louis repeated as he clicked away on his laptop.

“What are you writing?” Harry asked, a hint of a smile peeking through his voice.

Louis shook his head and couldn't help but smile. “You’re a persistent lad, aren't you?”

“I’ve been told.” Harry said smartly “Now, what are you writing?”

“A eulogy of my existence.” Louis mumbled, his cheeks turning a light shade of crimson.

“Heh, write one for me too, ye?” Harry muttered in response.

“I’m Louis, by the way.” He said, finally cracking a hint of a smile.

“Louis, pretty.” Harry mumbled as he tried to peek over at Louis’ laptop screen.

“Can I ask you something?” Louis perked up.

Harry nodded excitedly. 

“Are you, erm, gay?”

Harry looked slightly confused. “I mean, i thought- Yeah, yeah I am.”

“Right, good, me too.” Louis replied, soothing the look of impending doom covering Harry’s innocent face. 

Harry didn't quite know how to reply, but he smiled back at the boy.

“Do you want to sleep with me?” Louis asked bluntly.

“Uh, I hadn't thought about it, really.” 

Louis laughed. “You have. And my answer would be yes, if you asked.”

Harry looked at him in disbelief. “Cheeky. You spare nothing, do you?”

Louis just laughed and poked his tongue out of the corner of his mouth. “You offered me free coffee, it doesn't take an astrophysicist to realize that you want to sleep with me.”

“I get off at 9.” Harry replied as he got up from the table and returned to work. 

 

I didn't think i could find myself painting every colour of his eyes over and over in my mind, until he spoke to me. He fucking spoke to me. I don't understand how time can move, and be such a cruel master to those who have no idea how much time they have left. LT

 

Chapter 2

Louis didn't know how, or why, but he found himself outside of the coffee shop at 8:57 p.m, anxiously tapping his foot, hoping Harry wasn't joking about meeting him at 9.

“Bit eager, are we?” Harry spoke, popping his head out of the door. 

Louis nearly jumped out of his skin, unable to hide the giant smile that was forming on his face. 

“Brought you a scone.” The curly haired boy said, smiling cheekily as he placed it in Louis’ hand.

“Peace offering? Or pre-fuck thank you gift?” Louis teased.

“Both, mostly the second. Let’s get a move on, ‘m cold.”

Louis found himself awestruck at how, to put it simply, adorable Harry was. 

He pulled out his phone and quickly typed writer and a barista, ultimate cliché.

“So you’re a writer?” Harry mused, peeking over his shoulder as they walked to what Harry assumed was Louis’ place.

“Was, i guess. Lost me job as a journalist, haven't gotten a job since. Been focusing on poetry, but nothing serious.” Louis admitted shyly. “What about you?”

“I’m a barista, duh.” Harry laughed, as Louis led him up a metal staircase to the door of his flat. 

“Nice place.” Harry spoke up, a twinge of nervousness hung onto his words. 

“Me mum designed the whole thing, paid for it too. Great lady.” Louis spoke plainly.

They both kind of stared at each other for a few moments, unsure of what to do. 

“Y’ too pretty to be sad, Lou. Louis.” Harry mumbled, collapsing onto the older boy’s bed and staring at the collection of poems hanging from the ceiling. 

“ ‘M not sad, just lost.” Louis whispered as he slowly placed a series of soft kisses along Harry’s neck. 

Harry lightly tossed his head back as he couldn't help but gasp every time Louis’ hot lips touched his cool throat. 

“Who are you, Harry?” Louis asked between kisses.

“A barista.” Harry winked, connecting their lips as he tangled his hands into Louis’ soft hair.

“Want you to fuck me.” Louis breathed as Harry continued to tug on his hair.

“Good, because I want to fuck you.” Harry said, half laughing, half moaning as Louis found his neck with those fucking warm lips again.

Harry spared no time in flipping Louis over, kissing a trail down Louis’ back, causing Louis to moan louder than Harry thought anyone would moan from such small contact. 

“Fuck me, Harry.” Louis said through gritted teeth. 

“ ‘m not ready yet.” Harry teased, trailing his fingers up and down the older boys back, tracing every curve of his spine, and running his palm over the curve of his ass. 

Once Harry was satisfied with the noises coming from Louis’ mouth, he positioned himself over him and lined himself up with his entrance.

“If you don’t hurry up I'm gonna cum right here and now.” Louis grumbled.

“Patience, love.” Harry whispered as he began to rock into him. 

Harry couldn't tell if he was more aroused by the concept of him inside of Louis, or the noises Louis would not stop making.

Harry, though he was incredibly close, would not stop until Louis had had enough. Harry didn't stop until Louis was physically shaking.

-

“Who really are you, Harry, if that is your real name.” Louis breathed, his entire body still tingling.

“Well, I’m Harry Styles. ‘M from Cheshire, i wasn't always a barista, y’know.”

Louis laughed out loud, “Well duh.”

Harry pressed a finger to Louis’ lips, telling him to shut up. 

“I was a student, A med student, I failed out, my mum wont really talk to me. I’m kind of contemplating my general existence, i guess thats how i ended up working at Starbucks.” Harry mumbled sullenly. 

“You smoke?” Louis asked, pulling out a parliament. 

Harry nodded and accepted the cigarette from the older boy with the shaky hands.

“Cheshire is pretty far from Doncaster, how’d you end up here?”

Harry smirked at the question. “I was dating this guy, for a long time, I followed him here, and one day he left. He left me, he left his flat, he left his family, moved somewhere far away, forgot about me.”

Louis smiled sadly. “How could anyone forget you, Harry Styles.”

Harry laughed out loud “Just realized I don't know your last name.”

“Tomlinson.”

“Gorgeous.”

“You think?”

“I know.”

“You smoke anything besides cigarettes?” Louis smiled deviously. 

Harry smiled sheepishly. “Never tried anything else.”

“Wanna get stoned?” 

Harry smiled “why not, Louis Tomlinson.”

 

-

 

Chapter 3

it’s almost as if i thought i was dying, until he came along and showed me that i was just inherently living. Ive spent a day writing poetry about his lips and wondering how i could've possibly believed that he wouldn't be more than a one night stand. LT

 

Two days had passed, and Harry was still staying in Louis’ flat. 

Though Harry didn't have work these few days, Louis unfortunately did. There were times in those 48 hours where passionate sex had triumphed over feigned emotion Louis tried to embed in any page he could, but Harry didn't mind watching Louis slave away behind his typewriter. 

“Why d’you use a typewriter? You have a laptop, or this neat thing called paper.” Harry mused, bringing Louis a cup of coffee from his own kitchen.

Louis rolled his eyes as he sipped the coffee and continued to click the aged keys of the far-beyond-his-years machine. “I like it.”

“I like you.” Harry whispered, kissing Louis’ forehead through his fringe and crawling into his lap.

“You’re like a Koala.” Louis pointed out. 

“A cute Koala.”

“Don’t flatter yourself.”

Harry laughed at Louis’ teasing before picking up several sheets of typed papers, looking through them with genuine excitement.

“Dont read those. They're not good, i’m not good.” Louis mumbled sheepishly.

Harry smiled as he began to read The world was flat until he showed me that there was more than meets the eye. I thought i wanted to die, i think i want to die in his arms. LT.

“is this about me?” Harry asked quietly. 

“Fuck.” was all Louis could muster. “I didn't want you to see any of that.”

“Why are you so obsessed with your own mortality?” Was all Harry replied. 

Louis groaned, again. “I dunno. ‘M afraid I'm going to be that one statistic, the one hit by a taxi, or the one who somehow ends up facedown in the Thames.”

Harry just laughed, much to Louis’ dismay.

“What is funny about that, Curly?”  
“You never leave your flat. You have this beautiful idea of life and you waste it in fear.”

“I’m glad you think it’s beautiful. It’s pathetic, Harry.”

“I think you're beautiful Louis, and I think I'm falling in love with you.”

Louis’ heart sunk into his stomach. “Don’t, Harry.”

Harry felt as if he’d been punched in the stomach. “Why not?”

“Im not lovable. You’ll just be sorely disappointed.”

Harry just rested his head on Louis shoulder. “I wont be.”

“And i’ll hold you to that, Curly.”

“I think youre falling for me too.” Harry pointed out smartly.

Louis laughed. “I’m a poet, i cant accept defeat.”

Harry lit up a cigarette and gave Louis some personal time to write. 

He was falling in love with the sad boy in the coffee shop. 

The sad boy was falling in love with the failure barista. 

-

Chapter 4

 

“Teach me how to write a poem.”

“It’s two thirty in the morning, Harry.” Louis grumbled sleepily as he buried his head into his pillow. 

“But i’m not tired.” Harry whined, lighting up his third Parliament in an hour.

“But I am, and you have to go make lattes for starving artists and white teenage girls in the morning.” 

“I’ll give you a blow job.”

“Harry.” He whined, desperately just wanting to sleep.

“Okay well now you don't have a say in it.” Harry shrugged, sliding under the covers.

Despite how absolutely exhausted Louis was, he couldn't help but let his mind wander with thoughts of every mouth that had been on him, and how fucking amazing Harry’s mouth felt. Or how fucking beautiful Harry looked with his cock in his mouth. But he wasn't sure if he should share that thought.

“Harry?” Louis spoke quietly. 

“Hmm?” Harry hummed as he continued to lovingly bob his head down on Louis. 

“You look fucking beautiful with my cock in your mouth.”

“So eloquent, poet.” Harry teased, sliding his mouth off of Louis, and sliding up his body.

“I want you to fuck me this time.” Harry admitted shyly. 

“Well now that i’m awake, i might as well.” Louis grumbled, his face flushed. 

“Um, i’ve never-you know.” 

Louis sighed. “ ’s not that bad, its nice.”

“I want it to be you, I want it to be you right now.” Harry admitted. 

“Lay back.” Louis whispered lovingly as he planted a series of soft kisses down Harry’s chest, stopping at his waistband. 

“Wait-“ Harry paused nervously. “Can i tell you something?” 

“Anything, love.”

“You were the first I've ever- you know, fucked.” 

“What about that boyfriend you had forever ago?” Louis asked shyly.

“We did other things, but i was too scared. I dunno, with you it just came naturally.”

“Thats what she said.”

“Louis”

“I’m sorry, Curly. Don’t be ashamed of that. Its good to lose it to someone you care about, at least, i hope you care about me.” Louis whimpered.

Harry rolled his eyes. “Of course i fucking care about you, Louis.”

“I dont want to fuck tonight, Harry. I just want to talk, if thats okay.”

“I’d love that, actually. I like hearing you talk.” Harry admitted, a small smile creeping up his face. 

“I lost it to a girl, actually. I tried really hard to be straight, believe it or not, and then i realized i was gay and i kind of let any attractive man in the united kingdom fuck me. I feel humiliated, I just- I like you Harry, a lot, I have since I've first seen you. I wanted you to fuck me and you did, and then i wanted you to just hold me and you fucking did. Fucking means nothing to me right now, you, you just being here…That means something.” Louis admitted, his heart racing faster than it did when Harry was inside him for the first time.

“You're not a bad person because you like sex, Louis.”

He sighed. “I don't like sex, i like validation.”

Harry smiled. “I’m not gonna reassure you everyday that you're the greatest human I have ever met. You're just going to have to start believing it someday.”

“Thank you.” Was all Louis could say. 

Harry held him all night while he slept. He didn't care that he would be exhausted at work the next day, he just needed to make sure that Louis knew he was loved. 

It was four in the morning when it finally clicked for Harry. 

Louis had no one. Louis was completely alone with his words that ripped him to shreds. Harry was going to do everything he could to make sure Louis realized that the sun shined out of his ass.

 

Chapter 5:

 

Its hard to watch the moon leave and the sun arrive when you've become so accustomed to the darkness. LT

Harry went back to his flat today. Louis knew he had to, but for some reason it absolutely fucking hurt. 

It was the whole, never have anyone around ever thing, and then the fact that it took him 2 days to fall in love. 

Writing was completely out of the question. He just wanted to run out of the door and miraculously show up on Harry’s doorstep with his version of the great american (or British, rather) novel in his hand. 

He knew that was completely, understatedly ridiculous, however.

Harry, on the other hand, was thrilled to be home. He needed some alone time to understand what the ever living fuck was going on in his life.  
Louis was the kind of man who didn't like to be alone. He reveled in the rare company of others. Harry, however, thrived off of his alone time.

They both harbored this gut-wrenching feeling that the other didn't actually feel as strongly as he had said, and both boys were struggling to understand if they were anything. 

So Louis, of course, had to know. 

“Harry.” He breathed happily into the phone once the curly haired boy answered his phone. 

“Hey darling, miss me already?”

Louis laughed awkwardly. “Yeah, actually. Look, Curly, need to ask you something.”

“Anything.” Harry answered sheepishly.

“Are we a thing?” 

“Darling, we’re everything.”

Louis sighed. “Harold, thats from Rent.”

Harry just squealed in excitement “I love that you knew that!”

Louis rolled his eyes as if Harry could see them through the phone.

“But Lou, I hope we are. I wasn't lying about anything I said. You cant let go of me so easily.”

Louis sighed with as much relief as he could muster. “I wasn't lying either. I just-why’d you have to leave my flat?”

Harry laughed aloud. “Because, silly, I need to shower in my own shower, and change my clothes, maybe have a wank, you know, normal 20 year old kid stuff.”

Louis smirked, again, through the phone. “Get some rest, Styles, you’ll need it for the next time you see me.”

“I’ll be counting on it, Tomlinson.”

-

Chapter 6:

Harry needed to get off of the phone with Louis. His guilt was eating him alive. In front of him sat a stack of re-application forms for him to go back to school. Medical school specifically.

A recent opportunity for redemption had arisen and he knew he had to take advantage of it, however, he felt as if Louis was the one being taken advantage of. 

He knew that going back to school was his ticket back in with his family, his ticket out of Shitsville, Emotions; population 1, and the pearly gates to his future.

However, he couldn't help but think that Louis seemed like a more promising future than cutting people open for a living. 

He thought about taking Louis back to Cheshire with him, but it was no use. Louis wouldn't leave, he's a starving artist who is more stubborn than any young child. It was also selfish on Harry’s part for expecting a boy he's known for under a week to pack up his life and move away with him so he can spend 90% of his time in school while Louis sat alone in an unfamiliar city.

It was all sad and complicated, really.

After all, they had only known each other for a week.

 

-

Louis on the other hand, was having a great day. 

The novel he had been working on for over a year was finally coming together. Maybe it was his sudden realization that he wasn't so alone after all, or maybe it was just the fact that he didn't feel as if his existence was completely pointless.

And although the lamb loved the lion back, the lion still felt naked and vulnerable. 

It was at that moment when Louis realized he needed a lifestyle change. He needed to get the fuck out of Doncaster, maybe out of England all together. 

He threw on his coat, and though he couldn't really remember the way to Harry’s flat, it was almost as if his muscle memory took him there. 

When he found himself on Harry’s doorstep, he couldn't figure out of this was the best or the worst decision he was about to make. 

“Louis!” Harry smiled as he opened the door. “Come in, ’s cold outside, lovely.”

“Wait- Harry come out here.” Louis said quietly, Harry following without question. 

“Are you happy?” 

Harry looked confused.

“No, seriously Harry, in your life, are you happy? Not with me, just in general.”

“No.” Harry admitted.

“Run away with me.” Louis demanded.

“Pardon?”

“Lets get out of here.”

“Louis, how do you feel about Cheshire?”

His stomach sunk, but he knew he felt something.

“You want to go home?” Louis asked, unsure of what Harry meant by the question. 

“I’m going back to school. I’m not forcing you to come, but I cant stay in Donny any longer.” Harry said quietly, the snowflakes gently falling and nestling themselves in Harry’s mess of hair.

“I’d like to come with you.” Louis admitted. “I know this is all so fast, but I’d love more than fuckin’ anything.”

“It only took a week, but god damn, Tomlinson, Im in love with you.” 

“And I love you too, Curly.”

And with those words, just like that, every fear Harry had been harboring had disintegrated. How could it have been THAT easy?

Louis had found his words, and Harry had found a reason to get up in the morning.

People fall in love in mysterious ways.


End file.
